The White Lotus star Walton Goggins reflected on his character Rick’s love story with Chelsea, played by Aimee Lou Wood, following the shocking season 3 finale.
Warning: Spoilers for The White Lotus season 3 ahead!
After Rick and Chelsea were revealed as two of the victims during the finale on Sunday, April 6, Walton, 53, reflected on their unconventional relationship in a tribute post shared via Instagram.
“Rick + Chelsea. With the heaviest of hearts … To me, ours was a love story. It was only ever a love story, hindered by unresolved, childhood trauma. We all have them … but can we move past them,” he wrote alongside several photos of the duo on the show. “In the depths of our despair there is always beauty around us. If we can sit with our pain, just sit with it … not react … not be defined by it … It’s there … the love the world is constantly giving in any given moment is there. Always waiting for us to see it … Trust me I know.”
Walton’s caption continued with him thanking the show’s creator, Mike White, for his “imagination” and “tender heart,” as well as “for the privilege of giving us the opportunity to tell it.”
“Thank you Aimee Lou for being my partner … a journey I will never forget,” he wrote.
Another costar he thanked was Sam Rockwell, who portrayed Rick’s friend and former associate Frank. “Sammy Rock for being the best wing man a fella could ask for. And every stellar f–king actor in this cast …. You’re just incredible to watch,” Walton wrote. “Bernad, John, Ben, Kamine … and this whole crew. I love you. We’ll always have Thailand.”
After he thanked the show’s fans “for going on this journey with us,” Walton concluded the caption with an Aeschylus quote. “Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God,” he wrote.
After wondering who died throughout the course of season 3, fans finally learned that Rick, Chelsea and Jim (Scott Glenn) were the victims during the finale. While Rick believed that Jim had killed his father, he got his revenge by shooting him. However, Jim’s death ultimately caused more pain for Rick when he learned that Jim was actually his father. After he initially shot Jim, Rick began a shootout with the hotel’s security, and Chelsea got caught in the crossfire.
As Rick tried to get medical help for Chelsea, Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) killed him while protecting Jim’s wife, Sritala (Lek Patravadi). After he was shot, Rick and Chelsea fell into a pond and ultimately died together.
Shortly after Walton posted the tribute to his and Aimee Lou’s characters, fans rushed to the comments section to share their reactions to the finale. “I’m devastated,” one person wrote, while another chimed in, “I’m way more than heartbroken right now. I was really rooting for Rick and Chelsea. I got so giddy at dinner when he said ‘that’s the plan.’ Chelsea’s glow. The love in the air.”
